March –––– June 2025: 17th edition
20 years on the assassination of Samir Kassir
SPECTACLE – THEATRE
MUTE
Hala Omran, Abed Kobeissy, Ali Hout
Kuwait, Lebanon, France / Creation 2023
A multi-awarded play against the backdrop of the Beirut Port explosion.
Sunday 9 & Monday 10 June 2024, 9:00 pm
Tournesol Theatre, Tayyouneh
MUTE addresses the catastrophic repercussions of the largest non-nuclear explosion in history and the consequences of marginalizing people, society and the environment. The Beirut Port double explosion of 4 August 2020 is a defining moment between two times, as Lebanon before the Beirut Port explosion is not Lebanon after the explosion – in all respects.
Writer and director Sulayman Al-Bassam states that in the face of escalating violence and unprecedented media misinformation, we ask ourselves about the possible forms of artistic resistance, and the definition of the act of artistic resistance today. What would we discover if we abandoned our usual traditional tools (event, narrative, and characters) and specifically imagined an action based on absolute silence as a tool for resistance?
In a way, this performance is an ode of love to the city of Beirut.
Writer & Director Sulayman Al-Bassam (Kuwait)
Performers actress Hala Omran (Syria/France) with ‘Two or The Dragon’ featuring composers and musicians Abed Kobeissy & Ali Hout (Lebanon)
Scenographer and Lighting Designer Eric Soyer (France)
Sound Designer Mathilde Dahossy (France)
The research into the Beirut Port Explosion interrogated some experts whose voices are heard in MUTE. They include:
- Dr. Russell Ogle, US engineer specialized in explosion engineering and risks,
- Retired Brigadier General of the Lebanese Army Elias Farhat, military researcher and strategic expert.
Producer SABAB Theater (Kuwait)
Performance in Arabic with subtitles in French.
🕓 1h30
No break
At its World Premiere in the frame of the 24th edition of the Carthage Theatre Festival in Tunis 2023, MUTE received 3 out of the 5 official awards that this Festival, the most important theatre rendez-vous in the region, grants:
- “Best Text Award” to Sulayman Al-Bassam
- “Best Actress Award” to Hala Omran
- “Golden Tanit Award for Best Production”
With these 3 awards to MUTE, the Carthage Theatre Festival preserved the character of its purposeful theatre, which some see as political and others see as humanitarian, stemming from human experiences in dealing with the complexities of life.
Tournesol Theatre, Tayyouneh
Indoors venue
Capacity: 330 seats
Phone Number: +961.1.381.290
Parking available for free / street parking / parking available for a fee
The performance venue does not accept reservations. Please book your free ticket(s) via EventBrite.
The Beirut Spring Festival is a free of charge annual arts and culture programming that celebrates freedom and renewal in Beirut, in memory of Samir Kassir.
All Rights Reserved, Beirut Spring Festival.